Did Rahul Gandhi say Congress plans to 'eliminate the Constitution'? No, video is clipped

What’s being claimed?

A video featuring Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is circulating on social media. In the video, he can be heard saying in Hindi, "If our government comes to power, we will eliminate the Constitution." A social media user shared the video with a caption (in Hindi) that translates to, "Today, by talking about abolishing the Constitution, Rahul Gandhi proved that the Congress Party is against the Constitution."

Screenshot of the viral video shared online. (Source: Instagram/Facebook/Screenshot/Modified by Logically Facts)

However, this claim is misleading. The video actually shows Gandhi quoting remarks made by BJP members about amending the Constitution.

Here are the facts

We found the original video through a reverse image search. It was posted on the Indian National Congress' YouTube channel (archived here) on April 29, 2024, with the caption, "LIVE: Shri Rahul Gandhi addresses the public in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh."

At the 13:19 timestamp, Gandhi can be heard saying, "Leaders of the BJP say — not one, but many have said — that if our government is formed, then this time we will abolish the constitution." A segment of this video, from 13:26 to 13:34, has been selectively shared online.

In his speech, Gandhi continues by saying that the Constitution has granted people their rights and reservations. If it were to be abolished, he warns, "I want to tell my Adivasi (tribal) brothers, your water, forest, and land, your way of living, languages will disappear." The full-length video shows Gandhi criticizing BJP leaders for their statements about changing the Constitution.

The Hindu reported that during an election rally in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, Gandhi criticized the BJP for their remarks on the Constitution and reservations. He stated that the BJP aims to eliminate the Constitution and reservations for people belonging to backward classes.

In March 2024, India Today reported that BJP MP from Karnataka, Anantkumar Hegde, stirred controversy by stating that the party would "amend the Constitution if it came to power." This statement was criticized by Gandhi and other Opposition leaders.

BJP Karnataka issued a statement clarifying that Hegde's statement was his personal view and did not reflect the party's stance. In April 2024, another BJP member, Jyoti Mirdha, stated that the party needs a majority in both Houses of Parliament to amend the Constitution. Her remarks also faced backlash from Opposition leaders.

The verdict

A video of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi quoting BJP members' statements on amending the Constitution has been edited and shared without context. Therefore, we have marked this claim as misleading.